


The Fairytale of Winter

by sunshineflying



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cancelled flights, F/M, Mention of sexism, Side Rose/Finn, Snow Day, Travel, packed airports are no fun, past Rey/unimportant male character, questionable business ethics on the part of Hux, single mother Rey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21651406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineflying/pseuds/sunshineflying
Summary: Rey travels to Chicago to interview for a job that could change the lives of both her and her son. Unfortunately, she doesn't get it, and is delayed at the airport as she attempts to travel home. There, she runs into a man who works for the very company that had rejected her, and the two bond over drinks in the airport bar. When their flight is delayed, he invites her back to her place, and the two of them share in a tradition that brings back memories of his past, bringing the two closer together than ever.A Reyuxmas fic in two parts.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rey
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47
Collections: Reyuxmas 2019





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> I want to extend a special thank you to Vee, for beta reading this, and to all of you readers for coming along on this journey.
> 
> Chapter 1 will be posted for Reyuxmas week 2: Snow Day, and chapter 2 will be posted for Reyuxmas week 4: Indoor Activities.

**Part One**

Rey sat with one leg crossed over the other, foot bouncing nervously as she continued to glance from her phone to the screen behind the gate agent, and then back at her phone. Snowflakes were beginning to fall outside, a foreboding sight. 

The moment her phone dinged, her heart nearly burst from her chest. She ignored the annoyed look from the redheaded man across the way from her, the man whose roller suitcase was dangerously close to her bouncing foot. When she opened the text, her heart dropped through to her feet.

 **Rose:** Snow day tomorrow!

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at the board again. Sure enough, where the status for her flight had said _On Time_ just moments ago, the word had now switched to _Delayed_.

Rey dropped her foot to the ground, no longer bouncing it near the redheaded man’s suitcase.

“Thank goodness,” the man muttered.

Rey looked up at him darkly before tapping out a message on her phone.

 **Rey:** How’s Toby?

Just a moment later, after the desk agent made the official announcement that their plane coming in from Colorado is delayed so their flight going out to New York would also be delayed in departing, Rey’s phone dinged. She ignored the huff from the redheaded man as she read the reply.

 **Rose:** He’s so excited! Charlie and Finn are, too.

Rey tossed herself back in the unforgiving leather seat and looked out the window. She was starting to think she’d never leave Chicago. It hadn’t exactly been a fruitful trip; a failed job interview at First Order Enterprises followed by a disastrous trip too far on the red line, Rey was ready to go home. She missed her son, and she missed her friends who were babysitting him for her.

The snowflakes began to fall faster outside, and their plane was nowhere in sight.

Across the way, the redheaded man was typing away on his Macbook, the keyboard clicks like nails on a chalkboard to Rey. She glared at him, but he didn’t seem to notice. Frustrated, Rey put one leg over the other again, and kicked her foot just enough to tap his roller bag and get him to stop. Very slowly, he looked up at her, eyes narrowed.

Everything about him bothered her; the keyboard, the suit, the way he seemed so unfazed by the delayed flight. Didn’t he want to leave Chicago? He probably didn’t; he looked just like half the men wandering around First Order Enterprises and it drove her insane.

“Tapping your foot like that isn’t going to make the plane get here any faster,” he said bluntly.

Rey huffed. “Well, excuse me for being disappointed that it means I can’t spend a snow day with my son.”

The man rolled his eyes and sat up a little straighter, ignoring his laptop in favor of looking right at her. “You’d spend ten minutes outdoors and be tired of it.”

“ _He_ wouldn’t,” Rey corrected him. “You don’t know me. Don’t assume you do.”

“I know you better than you think,” he replied. “You’re Rey Kenobi. You interviewed with First Order Enterprises. Unfortunately, you didn’t get the position.”

Her jaw dropped.

“Don’t look so horrified,” he said before she could protest or ask questions. “It’s my job to do research on our prospective employees before the interview process. Take comfort in knowing that, unlike ninety percent of our candidates, your social media accounts didn’t take you out of the running before you even arrived in Chicago.”

Rey, though still annoyed at this man, found a modicum of comfort in that. Hesitantly, she asked, “Do you know why I didn’t get it, then?”

The man shrugged. “I shouldn’t divulge this sort of thing.”

Rey narrowed her eyes at him and looked ready to shout, so he decided to continue speaking. “Just take comfort knowing you were well qualified.”

“I want to know what I did wrong.”

Rather than giving in right then and there, he looked to the board which stated that they would be delayed for at least another two hours, and then back to Rey. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked.

“I — _what_?”

“A drink,” he repeated. “Over there. Away from this crowd and the sign that will only further depress you as our departure time pushes later and later until it is inevitably cancelled.”

Rey frowned deeply. “Do you really think…?”

“Yes, I do,” he nodded. “The storm system is huge.”

“Couldn’t you just go home, then?” she asked. “You clearly live here.”

“I’ll explain everything over a drink,” he persisted.

Reluctantly, Rey nodded. “Alright.”

At least he was offering to buy the drink for her. She wasn’t broke, by any means, but she certainly didn’t spend money on drinks when she could instead spend that money showering her son with gifts and love and experiences all over New York City. Rey stood, slinging her leather bag over her shoulder, following as he wheeled his suitcase expertly across the wide corridor and into what appeared to be a very sleek, dark bar.

They walked in, all the way to the back, and took a seat at the corner of the bar. At least this way, they were somewhat facing each other, and Rey had the perfect vantage point to be sure he didn’t spike her drink or do anything untoward. Also, the lighting in the bar was much dimmer, making his hair a slightly less irritating shade of red, and his face seem a bit softer.

“‘I’d introduce myself, but you already know my name,” Rey said as they settled in, a not-so-subtle hint that perhaps he should introduce himself to her.

“Armitage Hux,” he replied, offering his hand to her. 

His handshake was firm, but his touch surprisingly soft.

“You can call me Hux,” he added.

“Alright, Hux,” she said, trying the name out on her tongue for the first time.

He seemed to be quite patient with her, now that he was placated by the bar’s decor. They ordered their drinks — straight brandy for Hux and a Moscow Mule for Rey — before Hux decided to broach the subject they’d been tiptoeing around earlier.

“So. Your interview.”

Rey looked up at Hux, suddenly feeling a little less frazzled now that she was here, at an airport bar, hearing what exactly she’d done wrong. It was the sort of thing she loved; Rey wanted to be better, to learn, to grow from her mistakes instead of dwelling on the many ways she’d gone wrong. What he was about to tell her would likely be a Godsend.

“Truth be told, you didn’t do anything wrong,” he explained, looking a tad bit pained as he did so. “You had every qualification necessary for the position. The fact of the matter was, the man who interviewed for your position, aside from being a _male_ , was overqualified. That’s a much better deal for the company, to have someone qualified for a higher position take this one, and at this one’s pay.”

Rey’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“I certainly think you’d have done an adequate job,” he continued. “This is all in confidence, mind you — I’m not supposed to disclose my findings, but given it’s to you, and not about you to someone else, I trust you’ll be discreet.”

Rey nodded adamantly, practically begging for more.

“An overqualified candidate will almost always win out, regardless of gender,” Hux explained. “However, our boss is… old fashioned. And trust me, you’re one of thousands who is looking forward to the day when Snoke croaks. But until then, we live by his rules because he cuts the checks. And if hiring an overqualified male is what we must do, then… it is what we must do.”

She scowled. “Well, I don’t want to work for a company like that, anyway.”

Hux raised an eyebrow as the bartender placed their drinks in front of them. “You didn’t know? Surely it’s all over the internet.”

Rey sighed and said, “Well of course it is. But it’s always on those sites where you have to click through a slide show and it doesn’t load right because of all the spammy ads. You’ll forgive me if I don’t see that and immediately think _trustworthy news source_.” 

She added a gesture with her hand to emphasize her point, to which Hux very nearly laughed.

“Alright, point taken,” he conceded. 

Lifting his snifter of brandy, he waited for Rey to follow suit with her cocktail. “To chance encounters,” he said, toasting to Rey.

She smiled coyly, tapping her glass to his, and echoed, “To chance encounters.”

As they drank their beverages, Hux explained to Rey why he wasn’t leaving the airport. Technically, while there, he was on company time, and planned to use the company credit card and subsequent rewards and miles as much as possible. Not only that, but he was in a huge place, all alone, yet surrounded by people. It was his favorite thing; there wasn’t an obligation to speak to these people, unlike at massive work functions or other events where there were crowds.

“Doesn’t that get lonely?” Rey asked curiously, polishing off her drink.

She set the empty copper mug on the counter of the bar and folded her arms, leaning forward to really study Hux. It seemed so easy for him to shake his head and just say, “No.”

“Why?”

Again, without hesitation, he spoke. “Growing up, I was constantly around people. Though my parents were very hands off, they insisted I have tutors, that I engage in the arts, join clubs, meet other children my own age. At boarding school, the staff did the same, trying to prevent any of us from developing depression or other _loner_ types of habits. Until I got to University, I was forced to be in the presence of others and to engage with them meaningfully. Needless to say, that’s been something I haven’t desired since.”

Rey was quiet, mulling over his words. “That sounds nice,” she mused. “So you grew up in the UK then?”

“England, yes,” Hux nodded. “Covent Garden area of London, if you know it.”

“Heard of it,” Rey replied. “I think I was born there, but I ended up with a family out near Sheffield for most of my life.”

At Hux’s inquisitive look, Rey began to explain her childhood. She’d been orphaned around age six, and bounced between a few overcrowded foster homes before settling in with an eccentric old lady named Maz and her gruff but caring husband, known only to the community as Chewie. They’d been an odd couple, very hands off, but they’d given her a roof over her head and food in her belly. They’d passed shortly after Rey’s son was born, much to Rey’s disappointment.

“I’d hoped he could grow up with more of a family than I had, but that doesn’t seem to be the case,” she said with a sigh. “I mean, at least he’s got me, and my best friends who are babysitting him right now, but that’s not the same.”

“It doesn’t have to be the same,” Hux supplied. “So long as it’s something.”

He looked up at the bartender and simply nodded, an indication that they’d be getting another round of drinks, no doubt.

“So how did you end up here, in the US?”

Rey frowned and looked down, pulling her arms inwards towards her, hands falling to her lap so she could fidget with a hangnail. 

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Hux added. “I don’t mean to pry.”

“It’s alright,” she insisted. “My therapist thinks it’d be good for me to talk about it, and honestly… how else am I going to get over things? So… yeah.”

At that moment, a refresh on their drinks was delivered, and Rey could take a sip for courage before telling her tale. She talked about the handsome curly-haired man she’d met at University, how charming he was and how smitten she’d been by his bright smile and his guitar and his leather jacket. They’d fallen in love faster than she could have ever expected, and they’d married within six months. 

He got a job opportunity back home, in New York, and Rey hadn’t found work yet. It seemed logical for them to uproot their lives and settle in the city, especially since Rey didn’t have nearly as many ties to her home country as he did. They got a tiny apartment, Rey found work, and a few months later they were both incredibly surprised by the news of Rey’s pregnancy. 

Nine months later, Toby had been born, and suddenly their apartment felt too small. With Rey on unpaid maternity leave, it was hard to make ends meet, and they spent nearly every night either arguing about money or who’d get up with the baby at night. After Maz and Chewie died, Rey wanted to go back to England but couldn’t afford it. The strain on the relationship was too much, and they called it quits about a month later.

He kept the apartment, Rey moved in with Rose and Finn to be a full-time nanny for them — they were the only family who were willing to let Rey bring her child to interact with their child — and the rest was history. They’d encouraged Rey to find work in her field, and when she did, they let her continue to stay with them and help out as the kids entered kindergarten until she could afford a place on her own. 

Now, Rey had her own place, and Finn and Rose were the best friends she could have ever hoped for.

“I don’t know where my ex is now, nor do I care,” she finished, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her chest. “I have my life with my son, and we have our friends, and that’s that.”

Hux swirled his brandy in his glass and asked, “So this job interview was a big deal for you, then. Moving away from your friends would be difficult.”

“Well… yes,” Rey said slowly. She took a deep breath. “Rose encouraged me to apply for it, to be honest. I didn’t think I stood a chance, so thanks for proving me right on that, by the way.” She smiled at him, but he merely raised an eyebrow in return. Smile fading, Rey continued, “I guess part of me did it because I have yet to actually live all on my own. I’ve always relied on somebody. This would have been the perfect opportunity to prove that I can do it.”

Hux studied her closely, eyes narrowing as thoughts swirled in his head. Rey shirked under his gaze and opted for a rather large gulp of her drink to try to distract herself. “Well, seems as though you’re at an impasse. You can’t give your son more family around him if you move away on your own, but yet, you can’t prove you can do it without moving away on your own,” he observed. “Seems to me you’re stuck.”

Rey nodded. “I know. I don’t like it.”

“Forgive me if I overstep, but perhaps you just need to abandon one of those desires,” he suggested. “Seems to me that would make everything heaps easier than they currently are.”

Rey sighed. “Ugh, I know.”

They sipped their drinks and the conversation seemed to reach a natural stopping point. The silence was comfortable, filled with the sounds of growing crowds buzzing in the corridors and more delay announcements over the intercom.

“Well,” Hux said after a beat, breaking the silence. “Shall I close the tab? We should check on the status of our flight.”

Nodding, Rey replied, “Yeah, good idea. Thank you again.”

As Hux flagged down the bartender, he said to her, “My pleasure. Consider it First Order Enterprises’ parting gift.”

Rey smiled; that certainly helped her mood a lot. Together, they walked back to gate C3, hoping to find good news. Unfortunately, their flight status had changed once again: now, where it had once read _Delayed_ , the screen instead read _Cancelled_.

Rey’s shoulders slumped. She pulled her phone from her pocket and typed out a message to Rose, letting her know she’d be even more delayed in getting home. Rose replied almost immediately, reassuring Rey that it was no big deal, and that they were happy to hang out with Toby, as was their son Charlie.

“Well, it’s best we get in line to get new flights,” Hux said, trying to quell any frustration Rey might be feeling. He certainly didn’t want to be nearby in case Rey went off on someone.

She was quiet, though, and followed him to the growing line at the gate counter, waiting their turn to be put on a later flight. They end up seated next to each other on a flight departing in the late afternoon the following day, leaving Rey a full twenty-four hours in which to hang around the airport, buying overpriced food and beverages.

“I suppose you’ll be going back to your place, then?” she asked. “The luxury of living in the city you’re trying to fly out of.”

Hux nodded, giving a hum of assent. 

“Well,” Rey said, wandering back towards the growing crowd at the gate. “I suppose this is goodbye, then. I should snag some cushions before I end up with nowhere to sleep.”

“You know,” Hux said. “I have a guest room.”

Rey was quiet; was he offering what it sounded like he was offering?

“I’m going to call a cab. I don’t live far, and the snow hasn’t fallen too much yet. It should be an easy trip to my flat, and you can relax there. I promise you, it’ll all be above board, and it’ll be much more comfortable than staying here,” he explained.

Though Rey’s rational mind was telling her not to accept this offer from a stranger, she also couldn’t help but remind herself that she’d slept with men she knew less than Armitage Hux. This man had shared parts of his past with her, and she’d done the same for him, and truth be told, a comfortable bed sounded very appealing.

Slowly, she nodded. “Alright. Thank you.” She smiled coyly at him and added, “That would be nice.”

“Of course,” he replied. “Come with me.”

Together, the two of them left the crowded gate area to navigate the growing crowd in the airport. Leaving the building felt like a breath of fresh air, and in a spectacularly short amount of time, Rey was climbing into the back of a cab next to Hux, heart racing. This felt silly, like something she’d do in university but never now, as an adult. She needed to be responsible, to set a good example for her son.

But her son was in good hands, and she was in a city with a handsome man, nothing to worry about but getting to the airport at the right time the next day.

Rey was going to do this, and she was going to have a very good time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flights cancelled, Rey and Hux find themselves in the comfort of his apartment -- except it isn't decorated for the holidays. Rey promptly fixes this, and their activities take them to a place neither expected to end up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to my lovely beta, and for all who are reading this fic!
> 
> This chapter concludes this fic, and is my offering for week 4 of reyuxmas 2019: indoor activities. Enjoy!

**Part Two**

Rey wasn’t sure what she expected to see upon entering Armitage Hux’s apartment, but what she was met with wasn’t it. His place was starkly modern, all greys and whites and clean lines, not a sprinkle of holiday festivity in sight. She looked around, stunned, at the blandness of the place.

“Do you not celebrate Christmas?”

The door closed behind her with a thud, and she winced at the sound. Hux turned on his heel and for a moment, said nothing. 

“Sorry,” Rey amended. “It’s just very…” She looks around, unable to find the right word to describe it. 

“Plain,” he supplied. “The way I like it.”

Rey smiled nervously. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my place.”

He shook his head and said, “By all means, speak your mind.”

“Okay, well,” she said, “it’s just that… Christmas is in a week and a half and you have exactly _zero_ decorations.”

Hux shed his jacket, hanging it in the hall closet before holding out his hand to Rey, to collect her jacket as well. He waited to respond until he’d hung her puffer jacket up for her. “It’s not as though I have anybody to see the decorations,” he replied.

“Still,” Rey protested. “You could invite people over, or enjoy them yourself.”

He walked into his apartment, to the kitchen, and began to rifle around in the cupboards. “Would you prefer a cocktail or something a little warmer?” he asked. “I have tea, cocoa, and coffee.”

Rey toed off her boots by the door before following him in. She settled in on the kitchen barstool and said, “Cocoa sounds lovely.”

Hux nodded and began gathering the necessary supplies. Rey watched with a smile on her face, amused by the seriousness with which he tended to the drink. Instead of packets of cocoa and milk, he used cocoa powder and actual bars of chocolate and what appeared to be whole milk. Rey’s mouth watered at the thought of the rich flavor the drink would undoubtedly have.

“I’ve never seen anyone make cocoa from scratch,” she observed.

He looked at home in the kitchen; he’d rolled the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows, and he moved with the ease that only someone with much practice would have. He looked over his shoulder, a smug smirk upon his face. “It’s the only correct way to do it.”

“If you have time,” Rey argued. “My son would never stand for this sort of wait.”

Hux turned to face her properly. “One taste and he’d understand. He’d wait, for this.”

Laughing, Rey shook her head. “I highly doubt that.”

“Children should learn patience, anyway,” Hux argued.

Rey raised an eyebrow. “Yes, well,” she began, “what children _should_ do and what they _actually_ do are two very different things. They’re unpredictable monsters.”

“And yet society continues to birth them.”

Rey can’t help but laugh, bright and jovial, at his strange remarks. She got the distinct impression that Hux was one of those men who were determined to remain childless, no desire to procreate or parent buried deep in their bones, as it is for some. Rey couldn’t fathom a life like that, but understood that for some, it was the best option.

“All that aside, I don’t mean to imply he’s not a good child,” Hux added. “Obviously I wouldn’t know, as I haven’t met him.”

Rey smiled. “He’s a very good kid,” she said. “I love him to bits.”

“As you should,” Hux nodded.

His expression soured as he turned back to the saucepan on the stove filled with simmering cocoa. Rey could tell that they’d unknowingly traveled down a path that had struck a nerve. She didn’t know the whole story, and wasn’t sure she ever would; all she knew for sure was that Hux didn’t want to talk about it, and she certainly wasn’t going to make him.

A moment later, he retrieved a ladle from the drawer and poured them each a steaming mug of cocoa. Rey smiled warmly and said, “Thank you for this.”

Hux nodded. “Of course.”

Taking great care not to burn her tongue, Rey took a hesitant sip. Just as she’d predicted, it was the most delicious thing she’d ever tasted. Her eyes fluttered shut and she nearly moaned at the richness of the flavors, the way she felt like she was sipping a chocolate bar, her body so suddenly filled with warmth. “So I take it the cocoa is tolerable?” Hux asked, smirking once more.

“Oh, definitely,” Rey agreed. “Where did you get this recipe?”

Hux paused, leaving Rey to wonder if he’d forgotten, or if there was something more to it. Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, she had her answer.

“My mother.”

They hadn’t spoken much of his family, but Rey knew enough to understand that his childhood hadn’t exactly been joyful and light. 

“Christmas was her favorite holiday. The house was always lit up with lights, the bannisters and porch decorated with garland, the tree eight feet tall in front of the front windows…” he lost himself in the memory for a moment, eyes closed and memories flooding back to him like waves upon the shore. 

Rey watched him in awe, leaving him to his memories, allowing him to share only as he felt comfortable to do so. Peace flooded his expression and he took another sip before he said, “After she passed, father forbid me from celebrating the holiday. I wanted to put out the decorations in remembrance, but he wanted to get rid of them because the memories were too much. Naturally, he won.”

She frowned. “I’m so sorry.”

“So, I haven’t decorated since.”

Rey looked around. “Do you have a tree? Decorations?”

He shook his head. “None of it. I’m fairly certain my father threw it all out.”

She sighed and stood up from the barstool. Still cupping her cocoa in one hand, she looked around at all the space he had, and then wandered to the window. “Do you think we could drive in this?” she asked.

Hux followed her to the window curiously. “It’s likely. However, I don’t have a car.”

“Why not?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I live in the city. Everything I need is in close proximity and if it’s not, I can order it.”

Rey laughed. “So that’s what life would have been like working for your company,” she said. “Living in the lap of luxury.”

He shrugged and replied, “Well, I’m so busy working, I prefer the convenience of delivery when I can get it.”

Nodding, she sat down on the sofa, strategically near his laptop, and said, “Alright then. I want to order us things from Target.”

She gestured to his laptop and waited impatiently for him to follow her lead. Though he looks skeptical, Hux nodded and took a seat next to her on the sofa. As soon as he’d opened his computer, Rey took over. She browsed all over the Target website, piling the virtual shopping cart high with garland and lights and wreaths and ornaments. 

“If I need to stick to a budget, just tell me,” she said, but Hux simply let her take over.

Several hundred dollars later, which he didn’t even blink an eye at, he’d placed his order and was notified it would be delivered in a few short hours. “What shall we do until then?” he asked, wondering if her motivation to decorate would completely disappear before the items actually came.

Rey smiled and shrugged. “Dunno. I could do with some food. And a shower.”

“I have a bathtub with water jets,” he said. “You could relax in the bath and I could cook us something.”

Her eyes went wide. “You’d let a near stranger take a bath in your home!?” she asked incredulously.

“I mean, I suppose,” he shrugged. “It’s unprecedented.”

Rey mulled it over in her head for a moment. Though part of her would really like to watch Hux in the kitchen some more — she’d deal with what that meant later — the thought of a bath with water jets and no child to interrupt her is just too tempting. “I would love that,” she said finally. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Hux replied. “Mothers need rest and relaxation, too.”

She smiled; he understood completely, and that meant the world to her.

It was the most luxurious bath she’d had in a long while — though First Order Enterprises had funded her trip out to Chicago for the interview, they’d put her up in a generic hotel, one without the same luxuries as Hux’s apartment. She lounged in the bubbles until the water went cold, and was pleased to find that when she walked out of the bathroom, warm and cozy in her pajamas, the food was ready. He’d made them a pasta dish of some sort; she could smell the herbs and spices from the sauce.

When he smiled at her as she entered, Rey’s heart did a funny leap. She scolded herself for it; she hadn’t gotten the job and she wouldn’t be moving to Chicago — there was no point in her bothering to acknowledge these feelings of attraction that had begun to grow within her since those drinks long ago.

Rey gratefully took a plate of linguine with red sauce and joined him at the counter bar. Together they ate, a comfortable silence around them with nothing but the clanking of forks and warmth at their side to remind them that they weren’t alone.

The snow continued to fall outside, but Hux had gotten the confirmation text that his delivery was still on its way, and that they’d be seeing it soon. When it arrived, Hux tipped the delivery person generously for hauling so many things upstairs — even though Rey had refused to take no for an answer when she’d offered to help carry. Before long, there was a massive pile of Christmas decorations in the middle of Hux’s living room, and he was about to let a near-stranger help him do something he hadn’t done since his mother was alive.

Instead of sadness, he only felt relief and warmth. 

This woman, Rey, was spectacular.

It took her next to no time at all to transform his apartment into a Christmas wonderland. She put together the tree first, taking the liberty of dragging his sofa out of the way, ensuring the tree was lined up perfectly in front of the windows facing the street outside. Together they passed strings of garland and fairy lights around the tree, Hux pleasantly surprised by how dignified the tree looked considering it was covered in red. 

He’d expected gaudy colors, but she’d stuck neatly to a theme: red decorations with golden accents. It was incredible, watching her transform the apartment around him into a home worthy of his mother’s impeccable Christmas tastes.

Hux helped her hang lights in the windows, adorn the mantle with fake snow and Christmas stockings. She’d gotten two, just in case there was a woman in his life she didn’t know about, or perhaps in memory of his mother. Better safe than sorry, she’d figured. 

A few hours later, sweaty and quite pleased with her efforts, Rey stood in the middle of his living room with her hands on her hips, beaming.

Her hair had flyaways left and right, and he could spot the faintest sign of sweat in the underarms of her shirt, but Hux was incredibly grateful for this woman. She’d turned his life upside down and given him a home the likes of which he hasn’t seen since he was a teenager. As he approached her in the living room, he took a deep breath. Something about the situation felt more precarious than he would have expected.

Rey turned on her heel to face him, her smile bright as the sun. “You’re sure this was okay?” she asked.

He snorted. “There’s no going back now, is there?”

She laughed and replied, “I suppose. You could take it all down and return it as soon as I leave.”

Shaking his head, Hux replied, “I won’t.”

Looking around, he took in the sight of his apartment and let the memories flood back to him. It had been so long since he’d even allowed thoughts of his mother to take up space in his head. The recollections were always so painful, more than he felt prepared to deal with. But here, surrounded by decor that reminded him of her smile and her vibrance… it was a lot.

Rey’s expression softened and she stepped nearer to him, a gentle hand on his forearm to pull him back to the present. “You okay?” she asked softly.

He looked down at her and nodded. “Yeah. I am.”

“I know what it’s like to lose a parent,” she offered. “I don’t remember it as much as you did, but it’s still an ache that never goes away.” Rey looked over at the Christmas tree, and then back to Hux. “I hope this does her memory justice.”

“It really does,” he said. “Thank you.”

Smiling, Rey looked up into his eyes and replied, “Of course. It’s the least I could do after you let me have a bath and sleep here tonight. _And_ fed me.”

He smirked. “ _And_ paid for it all.”

“That’s because you’re going to keep it,” she argued. “Obviously.”

He smirked. “You have an answer for everything tonight.”

Rey winked at him playfully. “I’ve been known to get things right from time to time,” she teased. “Like the fact that everyone should have their home decorated for the holidays.”

Hux looked around again, a scrutinizing eye scanning over every possible surface in the apartment as though looking for something she’d forgotten. She nudged him playfully. “Stop that!”

He looked down at her and said, “You forgot one thing.”

Rey’s was scandalized. “What!? I did not! What did I forget?”

Hux is quiet, letting her stew in the question for a moment as he summoned the courage to tell her just what it was that she forgot. Instead of speaking, he pointed to the ceiling. Rey looked up, suddenly confused. “I don’t see anything.”

“Exactly.”

She looked back to him, surprised. “Oh.”

Hux raised an eyebrow, a silent question. Though a bit more nervous than usual, Rey smiled and nodded. “We can always pretend?” she suggested.

Her hand still lay on his forearm, and he took that opportunity to bring his hand to her waist. “If that’s what you’d like,” he replied.

It felt like a silly game, both of them wanting something but neither having the courage to ask for it. Hux had done enough, he felt, by saying something at all. Rey, on the other hand, was just having trouble hearing her thoughts past the beating of her heart. 

“Yes,” she nodded.

It didn’t really answer his question, but it was enough. She smiled to reassure him, and stood up on her tiptoes to meet him. Gently, with a tenderness she hadn’t expected from him, their noses brushed before Hux closed the distance between them.

When their lips met, it wasn’t fireworks or explosions or anything dramatic; for Rey, it was a faster beating heart and a deep feeling of gratitude and belonging. His hands on her waist and his soft lips against hers was all she needed to forget every worry, every trouble, for just one moment. She couldn’t breathe; she was lost in the feeling of her body against his and how somehow this stranger turned friend turned something else made her feel like she was alive again.

She hadn’t felt like this since before her son was born.

Hux leaned back for the briefest of moments, catching his breath and looking into Rey’s eyes. He looked taken aback, as though he hadn’t expected his own onslaught of feelings.

Rey had set the scene perfectly; whether or not she’d planned this, it was happening, and both of them seemed much better off for it. With her free hand, Rey reached up and guided Hux into another kiss. She knew what she wanted and she knew how to get it, and Hux could appreciate that in a woman. She didn’t expect him to read her mind or surprise her; Rey knew how to give and take better than anyone else he’d ever met.

Plus, her lips were soft and her kisses were playful, and being in such close proximity to her made his heart pound against his ribcage, reminding him he was alive.

Though he’d offered her the guest room, she stayed with him in the master bedroom instead, the two of them enjoying each other’s presence and company long into the night. When they woke, the decorations were still there; Hux had half expected himself to wake and realize the entire night was a dream.

Before leaving his apartment, he made her breakfast, and at the airport they exchanged phone numbers. He declined a flight upgrade in order to sit next to her on their rescheduled flight, and they chatted the entire way to New York. 

Landing in New York was bittersweet; it was understood between the both of them that this was where their stories diverged. Whether they’d cross paths again or not was uncertain, and not a topic either of them felt confident broaching. They walked together, slowly, to the exit of the airport — Hux to a cab that would take him to whatever postponed business meeting he needed to attend, and Rey to her friends and her son.

In the arrivals area, Rey desperately wanted to give him a proper goodbye, to steal Hux to the side for one last goodbye kiss, but before she could do that she heard a familiar young voice shout, “Mommy!”

Rey’s expression brightened and she turned to the source of the sound. “Toby!”

She smiled and did a quick little shuffle over to him, where he stood with Rose and Finn. He bounced up and down on his feet, little brunette curls a messy mop atop his head. Rey scooped him into a massive hug, spinning him around as he giggled and hugged her back. “Oh, I missed you, darling!”

“Missed you too mommy. We got a snow day!” he said, before beginning to ramble about everything he’d gotten to do on his snow day.

Rey looked up in the distance, over her son’s shoulder, to see if Hux was still around. He was standing on his own off to the side, watching her and waiting for her to look up. She smiled at him and waved, the best goodbye she could give him now. Before departing, he smiled right back at her and nodded.

Perhaps they’d see each other again, but perhaps they wouldn’t. Whatever happened, they still both agreed that the night they’d spent together was one of the most special nights in either of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Twitter at armitagehoox!


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